IN THIS ISSUE:
*Events
*Volunteer Opportunities
*Internships, Jobs, and Beyond...
*In the Spotlight: Students Enter Health Care Discussion Through Service
EVENTS
APO Informational Meeting
Sunday, October 4
5:30pm
Reynolds Club South Lounge
Alpha Phi Omega, UChicago's co-ed service fraternity, offers opportunities in leadership, friendship, and service. Our service activities are flexible and easily fit into your schedule, and we partner with many community organizations such as the House of Hope, the Living Room Cafe, and a homeless food run organization. We have social events often and have included after-meeting dinners, Super Bowl parties, and even a formal.
South Side History Bike Tour
Saturday, October 10
10:30am-3:30pm
Bartlett Quad
Explore the social, cultural, and political history of the South Side. Stops include Historic Bronzeville, Union Stockyard Gate, Richard J. Daley’s home, Hull House and more. Tour led by faculty members John Boyer, Terry Nichols Clark, and Mark Hansen. Participants must have their own bike and helmet. To register, email dhays@uchicago.edu.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
AIDS Run & Walk Chicago
Saturday, October 3
9:30am
Grant Park
Over 300 volunteers needed throughout the day to assist in setup and execution of AIDS Run & Walk Chicago. Jobs include: registration, check-in, gear distribution, and refreshments. All volunteers will receive instruction on event day. No prior training is necessary for most jobs. All jobs are fun and interactive with the runners, walkers and other volunteers. Contact Dianne Patterson at Chicago Special Events Management at 773-868-3010 ext. 221 to volunteer and learn more about event day opportunities!
Hyde Park Food Pantry seeks volunteers for the monthly food delivery October 6th. For more information contact Marlene at marvellinga@aol.com
Training-to-Transition needs people to conduct mock interviews as well as panelists in the areas of Creative Art & Culinary & Entrepreneurial, Medical, Health & Fitness, and Construction. For more information contact Raven Moore at rmoore@umojacorporation.org
Hyde Park Kenwood Community Conference needs help with their Used Book Sale. They’re looking for volunteers Friday of setup (Oct. 9) and any time during the sale (Oct. 10-12). If you’re interested, you can contact Jane directly. Her email is k-ciacci@uchicago.edu.
Talent C.O.R.E. 3 is currently seeking college students that are inspired to mentor and encourage youth to follow the journey toward higher education!!!! Talent C.O.R.E. 3 will match prospective volunteers with youth that can relate to them on a personal basis, in regards to interests, hobbies, and talents (sports, music, art, theatre, speaking, modeling, etc). For more information and to apply, contact Brandon Wright at Bwright@talentcore3.org
Urban Initiatives' Urban Coaching Corps
Urban Initiatives collaborates with schools, teachers, and parents to boost the academic performance, physical fitness, and character development of children from Chicago's underserved communities. Urban Initiative Coaching Corp applicants will be asked to serve as assistant mentor/coaches for youth in the 5th through 8th grades at one of the 10 CPS sites. Volunteers will be expected to dedicate three days a week from 3:00 to 5:00 PM for a 6-week period. If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Urban Initiatives' volunteer coordinator at julie.chelovich@urbaninitiatives.org for more information about training time and location.
Flatwater Classic Canoe and Kayak Race
Sunday, October 4
7:00am – Throughout the day
Chicago River seeks volunteers for various jobs for the Flatwater Classic Canoe and Kayak Race. Volunteer jobs include: race timers, finish line crews, spotters, check-in, and registration assistance. If you are available to volunteer, please call or email Cynthia Fox at 312-939-0490, ext. 13 or CFox@chicagoriver.org
INTERNSHIPS, JOBS, AND BEYOND...
Idealist.org Graduate Degree Fair for the Public Good
Monday, October 12
5:00pm - 8:00pm
University of Illinois at Chicago, Main Hall A and B
Meet graduate admissions representatives from various programs to discuss professional development through graduate education, attend a free information session offering advice on graduate degree options, the application process, financial aid, and deciding when to attend graduate school after spending time in the working world.
2010 Diversity Leadership Awards
Deadline: October 16, 2009
The Diversity Leadership Awards seek to recognize University staff members who display leadership in fostering diversity both on campus and within the surrounding community and to highlight, in concert with the University of Chicago Board of Governors, the contributions of alumni who advance the cause of justice and equality in our community and society. Please nominate a staff member or alumna/us at http://www.uchicago.edu/diversity/awards.shtml/
Students Serve, a national 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, is accepting applications for service project grants. Any college student with an idea about how to address a local, national, or global problem can submit the online application at StudentsServe.org.
The Science and Technology Outreach and Mentoring Program (STOMP) is seeking individuals who want to gain invaluable education and outreach experience through being a paid instructor. STOMP seeks individuals involved in science related fields, available for Tuesday and Thursday teams beginning in September 2009. Pay is $25.00 per hour. For more information, contact racy J. Schultz at tjschultz@uchicago.edu to set up an interview.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Students Enter Health Care Discussion Through Service
Anna Tenuta, Staff Writer
As the debate over national health care policy reform remains in the spotlight, incoming first-year students at the University of Chicago took action. Not by screaming at town hall meetings nor by appealing to policy makers, but through community service. Certainly, their service at one facility on the South Side of Chicago may not be enough to sway public opinion. Still, service is a vital aspect too often forgot in the face of politics and policy making.
On Monday, September 29, as part of UCSC’s annual Day of Service event aimed at introducing incoming first years to community service, a group of students traveled to the Chicago Child Trauma Center (CCTC). The CCTC, a facility run by La Rabida Children’s Hospital located at 89th Street and Stony Island, focuses on providing both psychological and physical health care to children on the south side and in south suburban Cook County who have experienced or witnessed traumatic events, severe abuse, and medical traumas, among other trauma-inducing experiences.
Judith Blakemore, Manager of Volunteer Services at La Rabida, said the U of C students were “a tremendous help, and they had a great attitude”, even though their exact service project at CCTC underwent a last minute adjustment.
“The students were supposed to sanitize toys, restock therapy rooms – that kind of thing,” explained Blakemore, “but there were plumbing problems over the weekend that caused a huge mess everywhere.”
According to Blakemore, the students did a “great job” of cleaning everything necessary and they essentially “made the space habitable again”.
“A therapist’s time is valuable – not that they are too good to clean, but given the needs of our patients, to have to clean an entire facility would not have been using their time effectively,” said Blakemore. “The students efforts allowed our therapists time to focus on the patients.”
Jahnavi Bhaskar, Service Team Leader at the CCTC site and fourth year in the college, explained that her group was eager to help an organization that “is fulfilling such an important need in the community”. She added, “We are grateful to them for their good work, so it was nice to help in any way we could.”
The Chicago Child Trauma Center was one of 46 service sites that were a part of this year’s Engage Chicago through Service Day, formerly titled Experience Chicago through Service. The change of the event’s name, according to Katharine Bierce, Program Coordinator of Days of Service at the UCSC and fourth-year in the college, “just makes sense”.
“This annual Day of Service aims at specifically introducing first-year students to opportunities for engagement with the community through service,” Bierce said. “So we updated the title to be more in line with the purpose of the event.”
Bierce explained it is her hope that many of the participants will become more active in serving organizations throughout the community after their experiences at the Engage Chicago Day of Service.
“We believe that students can learn best not only in the classroom, but in the community and from the different people in the community.”
Blakemore agreed. “’Engage’ is a perfect word because sometimes students don’t learn about the community outside of campus, but this event is a wonderful way to get first years engaged and participating,” said Blakemore.
“The students in my group enjoyed working at La Rabida and were eager to find out about CS RSOs that involve projects with children,” said Bhaskar. “I was particularly impressed with the range of sites that the UCSC sent students to; it speaks to the wide array of support our campus can offer to the organizations in our city that are helping our neighbors.”
Each year, explained Blakemore, La Rabida participates in the day of service because it “strengthens the ties that La Rabida has with the University – not only the hospital, but the UCSC and the students”. La Rabida Children’s Hospital services more than 9,000 students annually and provides care to children regardless of health care or family income circumstances.
The University Community Service Center (UCSC) fosters the development of civic-minded students by providing substantive community service opportunities through community partnerships based on mutual trust and respect. If you have questions - how to get involved as a student or how to connect to students as a community organization - please contact us.
University Community Service Center
5525 S. Ellis Ave., Suite 160
Chicago IL, 60637
Tel: 773.753.4483
Fax: 773.834.1160
ucsc.uchicago.edu
